“ccording to her plea agreement, from late 2020 through 2022, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, worked at the direction and control of PRC government officials and coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to promote the PRC’s interests by, among other things, promoting pro-PRC propaganda in the United States. Sun is serving a four-year federal prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in October 2025 to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
Wang and Sun worked together to operate U.S. News Center, a website that purported to be a news source for the local Chinese American community. Wang and Sun received and executed directives from PRC government officials to post pro-PRC content on the website.
For example, in June 2021, a PRC official contacted Wang and other individuals via the WeChat encrypted messaging application with pre-written news articles, including a PRC official-written essay in the Los Angeles Times that stated: “China’s Stance on the Xinjiang Issue – There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumor to do defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability, weaken local economy, suppress China’s development[.]”
Minutes later, Wang posted the article on her own website and responded to the PRC official with a link to the article on her website. The others in the group chat did the same. The PRC official responded: “So fast, thank you everyone.”
“
Indeed. I may have to remember this for the next time someone says America's freedom of speech means people don't go to jail just for posting stuff on the internet.
See, it's all about the normative vs. prerogative justice system treatment where AIPAC and Kremlin mouthpieces are cool because China, Cuba, Iran, and a few other are currently "baddies" because they don't buy enough of our stuff or have special relationships.
Reminds me a bit of How I caught an Illegal Russian Spy but with slightly more accountability. That story was cracked by sloppy opsec of a reregistered cat chip in Italian and Russian databases.
“ccording to her plea agreement, from late 2020 through 2022, Wang and Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, worked at the direction and control of PRC government officials and coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to promote the PRC’s interests by, among other things, promoting pro-PRC propaganda in the United States. Sun is serving a four-year federal prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in October 2025 to acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
Wang and Sun worked together to operate U.S. News Center, a website that purported to be a news source for the local Chinese American community. Wang and Sun received and executed directives from PRC government officials to post pro-PRC content on the website.
For example, in June 2021, a PRC official contacted Wang and other individuals via the WeChat encrypted messaging application with pre-written news articles, including a PRC official-written essay in the Los Angeles Times that stated: “China’s Stance on the Xinjiang Issue – There is no genocide in Xinjiang; there is no such thing as ‘forced labor’ in any production activity, including cotton production. Spreading such rumor to do defame China, destroy Xinjiang’s safety and stability, weaken local economy, suppress China’s development[.]”
Minutes later, Wang posted the article on her own website and responded to the PRC official with a link to the article on her website. The others in the group chat did the same. The PRC official responded: “So fast, thank you everyone.” “
Four years in prison just for posting propaganda on behalf of other countries? If that was evenly enforced a whole lot of people would be in trouble.
Indeed. I may have to remember this for the next time someone says America's freedom of speech means people don't go to jail just for posting stuff on the internet.
See, it's all about the normative vs. prerogative justice system treatment where AIPAC and Kremlin mouthpieces are cool because China, Cuba, Iran, and a few other are currently "baddies" because they don't buy enough of our stuff or have special relationships.
Oh yeah, that's the reason. Because as we all know China, Iran, and others are so much friendly to the US.
China killed less US citizen than both Israel and Russia in the last 10 years.
The PRC penning stories directly into the Los Angeles Times seems like an even bigger story than this…
It's a letter to the editor from the Chinese consul in response to an editorial.
Why not add "Pleads guilty" to the title. Or drop "Pleads" and just use the actual article title.
Character limits, but could have done better
>the WeChat encrypted messaging application
That's certainly a way to describe WeChat.
Reminds me a bit of How I caught an Illegal Russian Spy but with slightly more accountability. That story was cracked by sloppy opsec of a reregistered cat chip in Italian and Russian databases.
https://youtu.be/xjo0iLssbI8